Run To You
by BlueMoonFan
Summary: Set early in Season 3. Mostly AU. Kate is pregnant and Castle isn't the father. Despite that, Castle can't deny his feelings for her. Told in flashbacks and real time. Please read and review... T for now.
1. Chapter 1

Kate Beckett sighed and took a brief look at the man standing beside her. Today was supposed to be the day that she married the man of her dreams. However, she realized that she wasn't in love with him. And despite his declarations of love, she knew that he wasn't in love with her anymore. Maybe he never had been. So, she looked at the preacher and whispered, "I can't do this. I thought I could, but..."

Kate looked at her fiance and whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

Then Kate turned to face the people gathered to witness their happy union. She put her hand on her rounded stomach and told them, "There isn't going to be a wedding tonight. Please feel free to attend the reception."

With that, Kate Beckett turned and ran out of the church. Leaving behind a room of confused people. She walked out into the bright sunlight and took a deep breath. The baby she carried gave her a swift kick and she smiled and whispered to her unborn child, "I know. I'm probably crazy, but I couldn't marry your father. Not when I'm in love with another man..."

So, Kate rushed to the curb and hailed a taxi. Giving the driver the address,she hoped that she would be welcome at the house of the man who's heart she broke in two...

Meanwhile, across town, Richard Castle sat in his uptown loft getting drunk. He didn't think he had ever had this much to drink. The reason for it was because the woman he loved was getting married to another man today. A man who just happened to be the father of her unborn child.

Castle had made the mistake of telling Kate how much he loved her. Told her that he would love her unborn child. That had been enough for Kate. No,Kate at decided that they would be better off with a man that she didn't love. Damn her!

Castle threw his glass across the room. It shattered into a million pieces. Just like his heart had when Kate had told him about her engagement.

So, here is was,getting drunk in his loft while his mother and daughter were attending her wedding. Martha had tried to back out, but Castle had lied to her and told her that he would be fine. That as long as Kate was happy,he would be happy for her.

Kate knocked on the door in front of her and took a deep breath. It was then that she the baby kick softly. She smiled and whispered, "I know little one. Mommy needs to be brave." The baby kicked again and Kate whispered, "What if he won't answer the door?" Another kick and Kate finally raised her hand and knocked lightly.

Inside the loft, Castle heard the knock and for a split second,he thought about ignoring it. However, when he heard the knock again,he finally pushed himself up from the couch and walked towards the door. He was surprised at the sight that awaited him. Kate stood in front of him in her wedding dress. His mouth opened and closed and he finally asked, "What do you want?"

Instead of saying anything, Kate took his hand and pressed it to her stomach. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Kate..."

Kate had tears in her eyes and she whispered, "Can I come in?"

For a moment, Kate wondered if he would say no. She honestly wouldn't blame him. She had hurt him terribly and for no other reason than she was afraid of being hurt.

When Castle stepped aside and let her into the loft, she took a deep breath and whispered, "Thanks."

Castle felt the tears spring to his eyes and he whispered, "It's your wedding day. Why are you here?"

Kate swallowed hard and whispered, "I couldn't marry him."

"Why?"

She looked Castle straight in the eyes and told him softly, "Because we are in love with you."

"We?"

Kate put both her hands on her stomach and whispered, "Yeah. Peanut and I... He's always more active when you're around us. And Tom told me that he didn't want to be a father. That he was only doing the right thing and marrying me. To keep up appearances. I don't want to be in that kind of marriage."

"So you ran to me?"

"You told me once that you loved me."

Castle simply nodded and then whispered, "I still do..."

Kate took her partners hand and pressed it against her stomach. Then she whispered, "I have no idea if we will work,but I want to try."

"What about Demming?"

"He didn't try to stop me when I ran out of the church. He doesn't love me. Not really."

Castle nodded and led Kate over to the couch. She sat down and whispered, "I really should get changed. I hate this dress."

Castle laughed and ran into his room and grabbed his clothes. He was sure that they would fit her. He handed them over to her and she smiled at him and walked into the bathroom to change. She knew that they needed to talk and this was simply the beginning...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- Sorry for the formatting problem... Also, thank you for the reviews. I appreciate it. Also, I know that I've told a similar story,but this one is different in some ways. Mostly in the fact that this baby is definitely not Castle's. And the ramifications of how the two of them deal with everything...**

Castle went to the kitchen and started to make coffee,but then he remembered that Kate hadn't been drinking coffee since she'd gotten pregnant. So, he opened the door to his refrigerator and started making Kate a smoothie.

He was putting the finishing touches on it when he heard Kate whisper, "You didn't have to do that..."

Castle looked up at her and smiled, "I didn't do it just for you. I figured that Peanut would appreciate it."

Kate gave him a huge smile, "Probably."

Castle poured the smoothie's into two glasses and then put some whipped cream on top. Then he motioned for them to go into the living room. Castle waited until Kate sat down and then handed her the smoothie. Then he sat down beside her.

Kate took a sip of it and said, "Delicious. Strawberry and banana is my favorite."

"I know."

Kate lowered her gaze and swallowed hard. She put her glass on the table beside her and she was silent for a long time. She finally whispered, "I don't know what to say Castle. I feel like I betrayed you. How can you stand the sight of me? I almost made the biggest mistake of my life..."

Kate let her hands rest on her stomach and closed her eyes. She felt the baby kick softly and it brought a tear to her eyes. She opened her eyes and saw Castle struggling with his emotions. She finally took one of his hands and intertwined it with hers. Then she whispered, "I'm so sorry Castle. I've been the biggest fool..."

Castle moved a bit closer to her and then he whispered, "No, you weren't."

"I hurt you so badly..."

"You thought you were doing what was best."

Kate shrugged and whispered, "Yeah,but that came back to bite me in the ass. God Castle, I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't want to answer the door. You must think I'm..."

Castle shook his head and whispered, "Stop... I don't want to think about the past. We need to move forward. What's done is done and we can't undo anything."

Kate looked at Castle and expected to see pity in his eyes. Instead she saw love. She'd almost married another man and Castle still loved her. She smiled and nodded. Then she yawned and Castle smiled and said, "I'll let you have one of the guest rooms tonight. Then,we can talk some more in the morning."

Kate nodded and stood up. Before he really thought about it, Castle pulled her closer to him and then he planted a small kiss on her rounded belly. Kate gasped and put her hands on his head. Castle rested his head on her stomach and she didn't want to move. She didn't want to interrupt the intimate moment that Castle was having with her unborn baby. A baby that wasn't his,but a baby that he loved already.

Kate finally found her voice and whispered, "Castle..."

Castle could only nod as he felt her hands running through his hair. The baby kicked softly and he gave her belly one last kiss and looked up at Kate with watery eyes and whispered, "I know..."

Before heading upstairs, Kate managed to whisper, "Goodnight Castle."

Castle smiled softly, "Night Kate..."

He watched as she walked upstairs. Castle was determined to prove to Kate that she was right in making the choice to not marry Demming.

He had no sooner turned away from the stairs,when he heard the front door open and in came Martha and Alexis. Castle turned and noticed the stunned look on both of their faces. Castle smiled and asked,"What's wrong?"

Alexis could only shake her head and she whispered, "Kate..."

Martha smiled sadly at her son and whispered, "Kate left that ass at the alter. She told everyone that there wasn't going to be a wedding. Then she walked back down the aisle..."

It was then that Martha noticed the empty glasses on the coffee table. Then Martha asked, "Did Kate come here?"

Castle could only nod. Martha sighed, "Do you think that's wise Richard?"

Castle rubbed his temples and whispered, "No. I'm not sure at all. The only thing that I'm sure of is that she needs me. Until that changes..."

Martha shook her head. She didn't understand what her son was doing. He kept putting his heart on the line and he always ended up hurt. She knew that her son had loved Kate for a long time. Maybe since the day that he met her. Now, there was the added element of her baby.

Alexis finally spoke up, "Until it changes you're going to keep letting her use you and your feelings for her..."

Castle looked at his daughter and said, "Alexis! That's not fair."

Alexis shook her head, "No, what's not fair is the way that she keeps you on a short leash. The minute she tugs on it, you come running. You need to severe all ties with her. She's nothing but trouble."

Kate was standing at the stairs and she had her hand on her stomach and whispered, "I'll leave in the morning."

Castle walked over to her and told her, "No you won't Kate! Alexis, whatever the relationship between Kate and I is, you have no right to say those things about her."

Alexis looked at her father and then at Kate. She shook her head and walked past Kate without a word.

Kate looked at Castle with tears in her eyes. She hadn't wanted to cause problems between her partner and his daughter. Maybe it had been a mistake coming here. Maybe she should leave tonight. Leave and tell Castle that she wanted nothing more to do with him. Alexis was right. She had played with his emotions enough.

This baby wasn't his. She wasn't his. She didn't deserve his love or friendship. So, she turned and walked upstairs. She gathered up her few belongings. She would tell Castle to burn the dress and shoes. With that, she walked out into the living room where Castle and Martha were standing.

Castle saw her first and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here. Alexis was right. You're better off without me. I'm sorry I came here."

With that, Kate walked out of the loft and hailed a taxi to her apartment. Which is where she should have went in the first place. Only when she was safely inside her apartment did she let the tears fall once again...

**Thoughts? Remember, this is a Caskett story and everything will work out in the end...**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thanks once again for all of the wonderful reviews. They are truly appreciated and valued...**_

Kate sighed as she walked into her bedroom. Part of her had known that going to Castle's loft had been a mistake of gigantic proportions. However,she had never thought that hearing Alexis say those things would hurt as much as it did. She hoped that he didn't feel that way. The worst part was that most of what Alexis said was true. She had known that Castle had loved her for quite some time now. She had slowly been growing to love him,but one drunk night with Demming had changed everything.

Castle had been there the day she found out about the pregnancy. He had held her hand while she cried. He had assured her that she would be a wonderful mother. He started bringing her decaf coffee's. Had left little treats for her. He had been wonderful. He'd even been there when she had felt the baby kick for the first time. She had dropped her coffee and her hand flew to her stomach. He gave her a worried look and asked, "Are you okay?"

She could only nod softly and after a long time,she whispered, "The baby moved."

Castle had smiled and there was an unreadable expression on his face,but she didn't notice it. She was too pre-occupied with trying to feel it again. After a few minutes,she decided that the baby wasn't going to cooperate with her. She finally smiled at Castle and turned to head out of the precinct. Oblivious to the look on her partners face.

She sighed heavily and grabbed a suitcase out of her closet. She threw in enough clothes for the next two weeks. Weeks that she had taken off for the pretext of going on her honeymoon. What a joke that was. She didn't love Demming and honestly didn't want to sleep with him ever again. She was simply going along with what society deemed acceptable. Marriage and children were the socially acceptable options.

She wheeled the suitcase out to the elevator and with a look of great sadness on her face,she pushed the button for the bottom floor.

Meanwhile, Castle was having a chat with Alexis and his mother. He looked at his daughter and told her, "You were out of line saying that about Kate."

Alexis put her hands on her hips and told her father, "It's the truth..."

"I don't care. It was rude and disrespectful. I love Kate and..."

"And yet she's marrying another man."

"She didn't go through with it."

"And you're okay with her having another man's child?"

Castle shrugged, "I have to be. Sometimes loving someone means accepting everything about them. The good and the bad. One day you will understand that Alexis."

Alexis shook her head and whispered, "I won't ever treat a man like she treats you. I.."

"Alexis... That's enough. Look, I'm going to go after Kate and..."

"So, nothing I said got through to you..."

Castle just looked at his daughter and shook his head. Maybe she would understand it one day. All he knew was that he needed to go after Kate.

With that, Castle grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. Headed towards Kate's apartment building. He arrived just in time to see Kate wheeling her suitcase out of the building. He walked over to her and asked, "Where are you going?"

Kate sighed and asked him softly, "What are you doing here Castle?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

Kate shook her head, "I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I'm going away for the next two weeks."

Castle grabbed her arm and whispered, "Don't go..."

"Castle I..."

They looked at each other and then Kate shook her head. She told him softly, "Don't make this any harder than it already is..."

The two of them stood there looking at each other. They were at an impasse. Finally Castle whispered, "Let me come with you."

"That's not going to make your daughter and mother very happy."

"I'm my own person Kate. Let me come with you please?"

Kate was too tired to argue with him. So, she finally nodded and told him, "Fine. I'm too tired to argue with you."

Castle smiled and then picked her up in his arms and twirled her around. Despite her mood, she laughed at his antics. Then she smiled when he told her, "I'll grab some clothes when we get there. Where are we going by the way?"

Kate laughed softly, "Well, Demming wanted to take me to Hawaii."

"You didn't want to go."

Castle's words were more of a statement rather than a question. She looked at him sideways and said, "Not really."

"Where did you want to go?"

"Honestly?" Seeing Castle nod, she finally told him softly, "I always regretted not making it to the Hamptons with you last summer." She nearly added that she wanted it more since she realized she was in love with him. However,she kept that part to herself.

Castle looked at her and smiled. Then he told her, "I can make that happen."

Part of her had known that he would say that. She smiled softly and she felt the baby kick her hard. She was happy and she wondered again, not for the first time, if her baby could sense her mood.

She let her hand rest on her stomach and Castle smiled and put his hand on hers. Then he whispered, "I wish..."

"What Castle?"

Castle shook his head, "Never mind. Lets get the show on the road. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get there."

Kate wondered what he was going to say. Wondered if it had been important. She finally smiled at him and climbed into the front seat of his car. Closing her eyes, she soon fell asleep. Castle got into the car and smiled at the woman sitting beside him. Neither of them could know that this trip would change everything for both of them...


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. I truly appreciate it.**_

_**Now that being said, I have one thing to say: If you don't like the story, don't read it. Don't leave nasty reviews behind guest signatures. Again. Don't like it. Don't read. Simple as that...**_

They arrived at his Hamptons home late that night. It was nearly midnight and Castle hated to wake her,but he shook her gently and whispered, "We're here Kate."

Kate opened her eyes and gave him a soft smile. She opened the door and stood up slowly. She stretched and took a look at his home. Her eyes grew wide and she swore that her jaw dropped. Although she quickly recovered and smiled at him as he took her hand and led her into his house. She smiled softly at him and whispered, "Thanks."

He was happy to see that his caretaker had done as he'd asked. He'd stocked the shelves and the fridge with perishables. Castle wanted everything to be perfect for Kate.

He led her to her bedroom and smiled when he heard her gasp. She turned around and asked, "Is the the master bedroom?"

Castle shook his head and smiled, "No. It's one of the guest rooms. It's the smaller of the two. I could let you use the other one,but..."

"But what?"

"Well, this one has a wonderful view of the ocean and you have a walk in tub."

Kate could only imagine what she looked like. She was sure that her eyes were bugged out. She knew that her mouth fell open at that one. She laughed and shook her head softly. This kind gentle man never failed to amaze her. Even when she was sure that she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve the love and affection from this sweet man. Kate turned and laid her hand on his cheek. She turned her head to the side and whispered, "Thank you."

Castle smiled, "Anything for you and..."

"And what?"

Castle simply shook his head and smiled. Then he leaned down and kissed her cheek and told her, "I'll see you in the morning. Would you like pancakes?"

"Sounds good."

"Night Kate."

Kate smiled, "Night Castle."

She held her hand on the door for a moment longer than necessary. Then she smiled to herself and whispered to her unborn child, "You're going to love him Peanut. He's an amazing man."

With that, Kate turned and looked around the room. The décor was beautiful. The walls were painted in a light blue color. The bedspread matched the wall color. It was a room fit for a Princess. Walking into the bathroom,Kate was left breathless. The tub was the size of her whole bathroom back home. It was surely big enough for three people to fit inside. She was going to have a hard time leaving this room alone after her time here was up.

Kate noticed that there was a contraption on the wall. When she pushed a button, she noticed that it dispensed bubble bath into the water. Castle had obviously thought of everything that a girl could want. She undressed and stepped into the bathtub. Then she turned on the water and let herself relax. She closed her eyes and let out a big sigh of contentment.

Kate wasn't sure how long she spent in the tub. When she let the water out, she was shriveled and the water was freezing cold. She smiled when she grabbed a towel from underneath the sink. It was softer than any towel she had ever owned and smelled like heaven. She could spend the rest of her life in this one room and be happy.

After she pulled back the bedspread, she climbed into it and sighed with pleasure. The bed was just like everything else in the room. Built for the most comfort available. She closed her eyes and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

When Kate woke the next morning, she forgot where she was for a moment. As she looked around the room,she smiled softly to herself. Then she realized that she really had to use the bathroom. The baby was sitting directly on her bladder. After using the bathroom, she looked longingly at the tub and decided to take another bath. She loved this tub and would miss it when she was gone. So, she would enjoy it for now.

Castle must have heard her running the bath water, because there was a soft knock on the door and she heard him say, "I'm going to start breakfast. Is orange juice okay?"

Kate smiled and told him softly, "That's great Castle. I'll be out soon."

"Okay! Hurry up. I'm making pancakes and bacon."

"Okay! Sounds wonderful."

Castle hurried downstairs and pulled out the ingredients for their breakfast. He was almost finished with cooking the bacon when he heard Kate say, "It smells amazing Castle. Thank you. For everything."

Castle simply smiled and nodded. Then he asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Thank you for bringing us up here. I think this was just what I needed to forget about the past few months."

Kate watched as Castle moved around in the kitchen. He looked so at home there. She sat down at the table, because lets face it, at nearly six months pregnant, the breakfast bar wasn't comfortable for her. She watched him with a small smile on her face and shook her head when he burnt his hand. He shook it and let out a string of curse words. She shook her head and talked to her baby, "Hopefully he won't talk like that once you get here."

The baby responded with a soft thump and she smiled. It seemed as if her baby was already responding to her. Kate knew that it was probably wishful thinking on her part. She felt such a strong connection to her unborn child.

Castle had asked her early on in the pregnancy if she wanted to find out the sex of the baby. She had simply smiled and shook her head. She wanted the sex of her baby to be a surprise. He had called her boring and they laughed together. God, how she loved this man.

Some would ask if she loved Castle,why would she marry another man. There really wasn't any simple answer. She loved him for so long. Before everything got so complicated with Demming. Kate sighed and it must have been a loud one,because Castle looked over at her and asked, "Are you okay?"

Kate smiled at him sadly, "Yeah. Just thinking..."

"About?"

"Things."

She wasn't ready to tell him about her feelings. She knew the he loved her. He probably had for years. No, there was no probably about it. She knew that he loved her. She loved him also. Before everything got so complicated. Kate knew that she looked sad because she felt Castle's hand on her back. He tipped her face up to meet his and he whispered, "Talk to me Kate."

"I can't..."

"Why?"

"You won't understand. I don't even understand it and I'm going through it."

Castle bent down in front of her and whispered to her stomach softly, "Tell mommy that I probably understand more than she thinks I do..."

Castle let his hand rest on her belly and he smiled when he felt a soft push. He grinned up at Kate and said smugly, "Your kid loves me already..."

Kate could only nod sadly at his words. They were true,but sad nonetheless. It would always be her baby and hers alone. Castle looked up at her, "You look so sad Kate..."

What could Kate say? That she wished the baby she was carrying was Castle's? That she had made mistakes of monumental proportions? That she wished that she had never slept with Demming? That she realized now that she would have spoke up and told Castle that she wanted to go to the Hamptons with him when he asked that summer? So many regrets. So many missed chances for her. She realized that Castle was looking at her waiting for an answer. She finally nodded her head and told him, "It's nothing..."

Castle gave her a look that told her he clearly didn't believe her. He whispered, "There's something wrong.."

She smiled at him and whispered, "You want to know what's wrong?"

Castle nodded, "Yes..."

She motioned with her finger for him to come forward. Castle did and she smiled and told him, "Peanut is hungry and so is his mother."

Castle smiled at her and nodded. Then she watched as he popped up and clapped his hands together, "One breakfast fit for a queen and her Peanut coming right up my lady!"

This caused Kate to giggle and she shook her head. He could be such a kid sometimes, but other times, he could be quite amazing. Laying her hand on her stomach,Kate wished that they could stay here forever. Wrapped up in this world. So far away from their normal everyday life and stresses.

Kate's cellphone rang and she smiled when she saw the caller id. She picked up and said, "Hi Dad."

Jim Beckett heard the happiness in his daughter's voice. He was surprised for a moment. For someone that had called off her wedding the day before,she sounded very happy. He asked, "How are you doing Katie?"

Kate smiled at her dad's voice, "I'm good dad."

"Where are you? Did you go to Hawaii?"

"No..."

"Are you going to tell me where you are?"

"No. Just know that I'm somewhere safe. And I'm happy dad. So very happy."

And Kate was happy. She was happy that she didn't marry Demming. That would have been the worse thing she could have done. She knew that she was only marrying him because of the baby. Not because she truly loved him. No. It was a marriage of convenience. She knew it now,but when she was in the middle of it, she couldn't see it. She had almost made a huge mistake. She sighed and then smiled when Castle looked over at her. Her father heard the sigh and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine dad. Perfect even."

"How's the baby doing?"

"Peanut is doing good. Moving more and more every day."

She heard her dad laugh and then he told her, "That's good. I remember when your mom was pregnant with you. It was an amazing experience."

Kate smiled at the happiness in her father's voice. She had no doubt that her father would make an amazing grandparent to her unborn child. Kate talked to her dad for a bit longer and then hung up the phone. She stared at a spot on the wall and was brought out of it when Castle placed a plate in front of her. Her eyebrows shot up and she asked, "Is all of this for me?"

Castle nodded, "Yep. My plate is still on the stove. Too many?"

Kate looked at the stack of pancakes. There had to be at least six on the plate and she was starving. She shook her head and told him, "It's perfect. Thanks!"

Castle sat down across from Kate. They ate in silence for awhile. Both enjoying their food and the company. Finally,Kate smiled at Castle and said, "That was amazing. Thanks Castle."

"Anytime Kate."

He pushed his plate away and Kate stood and picked both of their plates up. Castle asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

Kate smiled, "You cooked,which means I do the dishes..."

Castle smiled and laughed at the woman he loved. He turned his head to the side and smiled. He was growing more and more in love with her every single day. He didn't know if it was the smart thing to do,but his heart couldn't stop loving this remarkable woman. The woman that he'd sworn would be off limits to him. However, sometimes the heart wants what it wants. No matter that you try to tell it otherwise...

Reviews are loved and very appreciated...


	5. Chapter 5

_**Once again, thank you for the reviews. You make writing fun and oh so worth it...**_

After finishing the dishes, Kate decided that she wanted to take a walk on the beach. She went to find Castle and smiled when she found him in the living room. He was asleep on the couch and he was snoring softly. Not wanting to wake him,Kate left a note on his chest. She slipped on her sandals and walked out the door.

She found her way down to the beach and smiled as the sunlight hit her skin. Kate had always loved the beach. She remembered the many summers spent at the beach with her parents. Each summer, as soon as school was out, Kate's parents would load up the family car and head to the beach. So many memories from her childhood.

Kate walked down to the water and smiled when she smelled the salty air. More memories flashed through Kate's mind. There was the time that Kate and her father walked up and down the beach collecting seashells. Kate was about five or six at the time. She remembered her father holding the bright blue bucket as she skipped along in front of him. Her mother had taken a few pictures from that day, but she stayed on the beach watching her husband and daughter as they walked on the beach. It was then that she found a starfish. Kate remembered that it was still alive and she had begged her father to put it back in the ocean. Her father smiled and did as she requested. She remembers laughing with the happiness that only a five year old can do.

Kate sat on the shore and watched the waves as they rolled in. She hoped that she could make her own memories with her unborn son or daughter. She loved this baby with all of her heart and soul. Her only regret was that her baby wouldn't know the love of his or her father. She wasn't even sure if Demming wanted anything to do with this baby. He had only agreed to marry Kate because he thought it was the socially acceptable thing to do. It was what his parents would expect from him.

Kate sighed sadly and let a tear fall from her eyes. It rolled down her cheek slowly and Kate wondered how she'd made such a mess out of her life. This wasn't how her life was supposed to be. She was supposed to get married, have two point three kids and live happily ever after. Kate laughed sadly at the turn that her life had taken. She was destined to be an unwed mother of a baby whose father might or might not be part of his or her life.

When Castle woke, he found the note Kate had left on his chest. He smiled and put on his sneakers and headed down to the beach. He saw Kate sitting and watching the waves. He couldn't see how sad she was though. He heard her sniffle and he sat down beside her and handed her a tissue. He didn't try to talk to her. He simply sat beside her while she cried. He took out a tissue and handed it to her. She laughed sadly and whispered, "Thanks."

"Anytime. Look Kate. I don't know why you're crying,but..."

Kate shrugged and whispered, "I'm not sure either. Except I started remembering all the summers I spent at the beach with my parents. My life was perfect. For eighteen summers I had everything a girl could want. Then, in the space of a heartbeat, my life was shattered. I keep wondering if this is fair to my baby. I mean, Demming never wanted this baby. I didn't know that I did either. Not really. At least not until I heard the heartbeat for the first time. Is it fair to raise this baby without a father?"

Castle took Kate's hand in his and whispered, "Demming doesn't know what he's missing. I would give anything to..."

Castle stopped there and Kate looked at him and asked, "What?"

"What,what?"

"What were you going to say Castle?" Castle opened his mouth and Kate shook her head, "And don't say nothing. Because I know you Castle and you were going to say something."

Castle took a deep breath and realized that he was trapped. He knew that he had two choices. He could make up something and hope that Kate believed her. Or he could tell the truth and hope she didn't take it the wrong way and run for the hills.

So, Castle decided to tell the truth. Then he whispered, "I was just going to say that I would be happy to be there for you and the baby. You know, as a father figure. That is if Demming decides he doesn't want to be a father. A baby needs a father figure in it's life."

Castle lowered his gaze away from Kate's eyes. He didn't want to see the amusement in his eyes. He was afraid that she wouldn't want him in her baby's life. Instead, he felt her reach for his hand and she whispered, "This baby would be so lucky to have you in it's life. Thank you Castle."

Castle swallowed hard and whispered, "Plus, I can teach him or her how to play laser tag. At least when it's old enough."

Kate laughed loudly, "Really? Laser tag Castle..."

"Hey! It's a great sport. You have to be stealthy and quiet. Alexis was amazing at it. She still is in fact. I promise that we will include you. If you want that is."

Kate smiled, "It's always been something between you and Alexis. How would she feel if you and Peanut played also?"

"She won't mind."

Kate laughed and shook her head. Then she told Castle, "She doesn't like me. Doesn't like our relationship Castle. And she was right, I haven't been fair to you. I've known that you love me for awhile and..."

"And what?"

"And I've tried to ignore it. Tried to find safe relationships with men that mean nothing do me."

Castle took a deep breath and then whispered, "What are you trying to tell me Kate?"

Kate whispered, "What I'm trying to say is that I love you Castle, I have for quite some time now. I didn't think that I was good enough for you. So, I tried to push down my feelings for you."

Castle simply stared out at the sea and then whispered, "You love me?"

Kate nodded and wiped a tear from her cheek, "I'll understand if you don't feel the same. I messed up Castle. So many wrong turns and missteps. I'll leave you alone now..."

With that, Kate stood up, placed a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed softly and then whispered, "I'll be up at the house..."

Castle could only nod. He was in shock. Hearing Kate tell him that she loved him was more than he could ever have hoped for. He'd been in love with her for the longest time. Probably since the day he met her. His only fear was that Demming would suddenly reappear and stake a claim to Kate and the baby. Losing them would devastate them both. He needed to think long and hard about whether he was willing to invest his heart on something that could turn around and backfire on him. He would hate to fall in love with Peanut, only to have Demming reenter their lives.

Castle spent hours sitting on the beach. Simply staring at the waves. He only went inside when his stomach started requesting food. When he walked into the house, he saw Kate sitting at the table crying. His heart broke once again and he whispered, "We need to talk."

Kate nodded and Castle sat down across from her at the table. He took a deep breath and then whispered, "I love you. I guess I have always loved you. From the day that you walked into my book premier. I was captivated by you. You said that you aren't good enough for me." Castle took a deep breath and then whispered, "The truth is, I'm not good enough for you."

Kate shook her head and took his hand. She squeezed it softly and whispered, "You are good enough for me. You've always been good enough for me." Kate sighed, "I hate it that you think that Castle. I know that your mom and daughter hate me..."

"They don't hate you Kate. They are just very protective of me and..."

"And what?"

"And when I'm hurt or upset, they take it out on the person that's responsible."

Kate sighed and nodded. Still not sure if she was deserving of a place in this man's world. In his heart. She did know that she wanted to take things slowly. She didn't want to jump from one man to another. She wanted him to be deserving of his love and right now she didn't feel like she deserved this dear sweet man. A man that would stand by her and her unborn baby. She still didn't feel like she deserved him or his love. She would do everything she could to prove herself worthy of Castle's love and devotion and build a forever kind of love. Their always...

_**Thoughts?**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Just a short filler chapter. Thank you for the wonderful reviews...**_

The next few days went by rather quickly. They took long walks on the beach and took turns cooking for one another. They grew even closer than before. However, they had been there for almost a week when Alexis showed up. Kate was laying on the couch reading a book when she heard the front door open. She assumed it was Castle coming in from his shopping trip. She laughed and said, "That was a quick trip Castle!"

She heard someone clearing their throat. So, she sat up and that's when she saw Alexis. She whispered, "I'm sorry. I thought it was your dad."

Alexis nodded at Kate, "It's okay. I wanted to talk to you actually."

Kate looked suspicious, but finally whispered, "Okay..."

"I'm sorry for what I said. I..."

Kate smiled, "You were protecting your father."

Alexis nodded, "It's always been the two of us. Me and dad against the world. I've seen a lot of women come and go. Mostly go and.." Alexis took a deep breath and finally said, "He was never serious about any of them. And then you came along and something changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad stopped being dad. I mean, he stopped staying out all night. Stopped bringing women home with him. He started talking about you. All the time. I figured that you must feel the same." Alexis sighed and then continued, "Until he told me and Grams that you were marrying Demming. I've never seen him so heartbroken. He drank himself to sleep every night."

Kate sighed, "I never meant to hurt him Alexis. I was just so confused. I'm pregnant by another man. A man that doesn't love me or this baby. How could I expect your dad to love us?"

"In case you haven't noticed, my dad isn't like most other men."

Kate smiled at her partner's daughter, "I've noticed. Look Alexis, I do love your father. And I don't want to come between the two of you."

"And I know that. Look, I was angry at you for a long time. Then Grams me see that dad is a big boy and he is always going to make his own decisions. Even if I don't like them, I have to let him do that. Just like he isn't always going to see eye to eye with me. I just want dad to be happy and..."

"And?"

"And being with you makes him happy."

Kate nodded, "And I'm happier when I'm with him. It took me a long time to realize that." Kate put her hand on her stomach and then continued, "I'm just not sure that it's fair to your father."

"What isn't?"

"Asking him to raise this baby. A baby that isn't his. It wouldn't be fair to him."

Alexis smiled, "Dad loves you. Which automatically means that he will love your baby."

"I wish it was that simple Alexis. I've made a mess out of my life. I don't want to bring your father into this."

That was when they heard a voice say, "What if I want to be brought into this?"

Alexis and Kate both turned around at the sound of his voice. Kate smiled and Alexis looked at her father sheepishly. Castle asked his daughter, "What are you doing here?"

Alexis swallowed hard and told her father, "I needed to apologize to Kate."

Kate reached over and squeezed her hand. Then Kate told Castle, "None of this is fair. Not to you Castle and not to Alexis. I made my bed and I deserve everything that's happened to me..."

Castle walked over to Kate and knelt in front of her. He put his hands on her stomach and whispered, "You made a mistake Kate. I love you and I think you love me."

Kate nodded with tears in her eyes. Neither of them noticed Alexis leaving the room. They were so focused on each other. Kate nodded and whispered, "I do love you,but.."

"But what?"

"How can you love me? How can you love this baby?"

Castle shrugged and told her softly, "I can't explain love to you Kate. It's inexplicable. I fell for you. Almost from the moment we met. I only want a chance..."

"A chance?"

"A chance to love you. You and your baby."

Kate smiled, "I'd love that Castle. I can make you a promise right now."

"What's that?"

"That I will do everything I can to be worthy of your love. Can you do one thing for me?"

"Anything..."

"Kiss me."

Castle smiled, "It would be my pleasure."

With that, Castle leaned forward and kissed her softly. He smiled into the kiss when he felt the baby kick hard. They laughed together when they felt a rapid succession of kicks. Then Kate whispered, "I think Peanut's hungry."

Kate smiled and whispered, "So is Peanut's mom."

"Then how about I take my favorite girls out to dinner. There's this awesome seafood restaurant in town. They have the best lobster rolls."

Kate and Castle smiled when they heard Alexis ask, "Can I get some of their amazing biscuits?"

Castle laughed, "Of course!"

Alexis walked into the living room and hugged her dad. Then she told him, "I'm sorry dad. For everything." Then she turned to Kate and whispered, "I'm sorry to you Kate. I never should have said all of those terrible things. I was way out of line and..."

Kate shook her head, "It's all forgotten. Just trust that I love your father and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. If he will have me that is..."

Castle smiled at her and said, "Always..."

Kate hugged him again and then she took a hand of each of the Castle's and walked outside of the house...


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a small filler chapter. As always, reviews are love and much appreciated...**

Dinner that night was wonderful. Kate couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. Watching Castle interact with Alexis was wonderful. He was such a good father. Any child would be lucky to have him for a father. She must have looked sad, because Castle reached over and squeezed her hand softly. She shook her head softly and Castle knew that she wouldn't want to talk about it. At least not in front of Alexis. He made a silent promise to her that they would talk about it later. Kate nodded softly and smiled sadly at him.

They arrived home shortly after midnight. Alexis hugged her father and wished Kate goodnight. Kate and Castle sat together on the couch. He brought her a cup of coffee and she raised her eyebrows. Castle smiled and told her, "It's decaf..."

Kate winced when she drank it and said, "Thanks. I think."

Castle laughed and told her softly, "Want to talk about it?"

She should have known that he wouldn't leave it alone. So, she put down her cup and shook her head, "Not really, but I know you. You will just keep pushing and pushing."

Castle smiled at her, "You know I will get it out of you eventually. So you might as well go ahead and tell me."

"Okay. You have to promise not to make fun of me."

"Me? Make fun of you. Never." Kate shot him a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. Castle continued, "I promise."

Kate looked into his eyes and finally said, "Okay. I just keep thinking that my baby isn't going to have a father. And seeing you with Alexis. It reminds me how lucky she is to have a father like you. Any child would."

Castle looked at Kate and saw the tears in her eyes. Then he put his hand on her stomach and whispered, "I'll always be there for you. For both of you."

"It's not the same Castle. This baby isn't yours biologically and.."

"Biology doesn't mean anything. I love you and I love your baby. Because this baby is part of you. Whether or not he or she is mine doesn't really matter."

Kate let her hand rest on his cheek and her thumb rubbed his cheek. She finally whispered, "You are such a dear sweet man. I really don't deserve you Castle."

Castle shrugged, "You deserve so much more than me."

Kate laughed, "We are at an impasse then. We are going to go round and round here. Lets just agree to disagree then."

Castle laughed softly and told her, "Agreed. Look, I love you and I love this baby." When Kate started to protest, Castle held up his hand and silenced her. Then she smiled and let him continue, "I know that I don't share a single ounce of his or her DNA, but that doesn't matter to me. All I want is a chance to make a life with you. With both of you. That, would make me the happiest man in the world."

Kate looked deep into his eyes and realized that he was telling the truth. It didn't matter to him that the baby wasn't his. She could see the love he felt for her shining in his eyes. It was in that moment that she realized she wanted to share a life with him. Wanted her baby to know the love of this amazing man. She took his hand in hers and placed it on her stomach. The baby kicked softly and Castle and Kate smiled at each other. It was in that moment that Kate knew her decision had been made. She couldn't deny her baby the love of this amazing man. A man that would love her baby simply because he already love it's mother.

Kate leaned forward and kissed Castle softly. Kate pulled back and whispered, "You really do love me. Love us."

Castle smiled at her, "I think you're finally starting to understand."

"Shut up Castle and kiss me again..."

"Gladly."

After what seemed like an eternity, the pair separated and Castle whispered, "What does this mean for us Kate?"

"I love you Castle. I always have. I just tried to deny it. To push it away. Hell, I even got pregnant and tried to marry another man. A man that I thought I loved. And why? So I could deny how I felt about you. You've been my best friend for years Castle. I didn't want to lose that if a relationship with you went wrong. So..."

"So you decided to marry Demming..."

Kate nodded and Castle noticed the tears sliding down her cheeks. She couldn't take looking him in the eyes and whispered, "Look at me Kate."

Kate shook her head and whispered, "I can't Castle. It's too humiliating... To know that I nearly made the biggest mistake of my life simply because I was scared of losing you..."

"It doesn't matter Kate. What matters is what we are doing now. Talking about it. Finally talking about everything. About our feelings. I love you Kate. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. Me, you and any other children we have together."

Kate did a double take at that statement. Then she whispered, "You want more children? With me?"

Smiling, Castle nodded and she lunged forward and kissed him again. And just like that, two became three.


	8. Chapter 8

**I love each and every one of my reviewers. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a note. It really makes my day...**

Kate woke early the following morning with the intention of making breakfast for them. However, all of that changed when she walked into the bathroom. She pulled down her panties and that was when she saw a bright red color. She shook her head and closed her eyes. Then, she dared another look and it was still there.

She stood up and hurried to Castle's bedroom. She knew that he was probably still asleep, but she needed to get to the hospital and she needed to get there quickly. So, she knocked loudly on his door. After a few minutes of knocking, Kate decided to go into his room. She looked around the entire room and didn't see him. She turned to leave the room and saw Alexis standing there. She looked at Kate and told her, "Dad went to the store. He said something about getting something special for us for breakfast."

It was then that Kate started to panic. She put her hands on her stomach and felt a terrible cramp. Alexis noticed and asked, "What's wrong Kate?"

Kate didn't want to worry her, but she needed a ride to the hospital. So, she told her, "I'm not sure. I think something is wrong with the baby. I need you to drive me to the hospital."

Alexis managed to squeak out, "Me?!"

Kate realized that Alexis was scared, but she had no other choice. Kate nodded and whispered, "Yes. I wouldn't ask, but your dad isn't here and I need to get to the hospital. Please?"

The teenager nodded and went into action. She took Kate's arm and grabbed her keys on the way out to where her car was parked. Not realizing that she was still in her pajamas. Helping Kate into her car, Alexis put the small vehicle into drive and sped off to the hospital.

Alexis kept talking to her dad's partner and tried to reassure her. Kate cried silently during the ride to the hospital. She didn't even bother to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. Alexis kept trying to call her father, but it kept going straight to voicemail. Alexis cursed silently, "Dammit dad..."

Normally Kate would have laughed, but there was nothing funny about this current situation. She was scared for her baby and for herself.

Alexis finally left a message for her father, "Dad! I don't know what's wrong with your phone, but I'm taking Kate to the hospital. She's bleeding and..." Alexis swallowed hard and then continued, "Dad, I need you. We need you."

She disconnected the call and then looked over at Kate. Her dad's partner looked absolutely terrified. So, she reached over and took Kate's hand and gave it a squeeze. Then she told him, "The baby will be fine. We are almost to the hospital."

Kate could only nod as she stared out the window. Alexis took a deep breath and continued driving to the hospital. She arrived and parked in the ER entrance. She rushed over to the passengers side and opened the door. Alexis looked over at the door and saw a wheelchair. She told Kate, "Wait here!"

Alexis hurried back with the wheelchair and helped Kate into it. Closing the door to her car with her behind, Alexis wheeled Kate into the hospital. Once inside, she called out, "My mom is pregnant and she's bleeding."

The nurses turned around and saw Kate and the terrified look on her face. They immediately went into action. The male nurse took the wheelchair from Alexis. Then he asked Kate, "How far along are you?"

Kate whispered, "Twenty four weeks."

"Okay. Is the baby still as active?"

Kate nodded, "Yes. Still kicking as much as before."

The nurse smiled and told her, "That's a good sign. Lets get you back there so we can see what's going on."

Kate nodded and reached out for Alexis' hand. Alexis wasn't sure, but she knew that Kate needed her. So, she took her hand and walked silently beside them.

Meanwhile, Castle arrived home to an empty house. He did notice that his daughter's car was gone. He thought that was odd, but didn't think anything of it. Then, he noticed the door to Kate's room was open. He decided to walk in. When he didn't see any signs of Kate, he shook his head. He thought that maybe she had went take a walk on the beach. However, the back door was still locked. So, he looked at his phone and it had turned off. He turned it on and noticed that he had a number of missed calls from Alexis. He also had a voicemail. When he listened to it, his stomach dropped and he muttered, "Shit!"

Castle hurried out the door and got back into his car. During the drive there, he prayed that Kate and the baby would be okay.

Alexis had seen a lot during her internship with Lanie, but the tests that the doctors were performing on Kate fascinated her. She lost track of the time, but she did wonder where her dad was. She heard some commotion out in the hallway. That was when she knew that he had arrived. So, Alexis popped her head out of the room and said, "Dad! We're here!"

Alexis didn't miss the look of relief on her dad's face. He hurried over to his daughter and hugged her tightly. Finally, Castle asked his daughter, "What happened?"

"Kate woke up and she was bleeding."

"What?"

"It's fine dad. They think she has an infection, but they are getting ready to do an ultrasound. They want to make sure the baby is okay."

Castle nodded and walked into Kate's room. He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the lips and asked, "How's our Peanut doing?"

Kate managed to smile through her tears and she whispered, "Staying put for the moment." Then she reached out for Castle's hand and gave it a squeeze. She put it on her stomach and whispered, "Talk to the baby..."

Castle smiled and leaned down and gave her stomach a kiss. Then he whispered to the baby, "You aren't done cooking. You need to stay put and quit scaring your mommy. You hear me?"

Castle heard Kate choke back a sob and he looked up at her and tried to smile, but he was finding it hard to do. He squeezed her hand and then whispered, "It will be fine Kate."

Alexis watched the exchange between her father and Kate and she couldn't help but smile. She had been in love before, but it was nothing like this. This was an amazing thing to watch. It made her a bit jealous, but also determined to find a love like theirs one day. Their tender moment was broken by a doctor wheeling in a ultrasound machine. He smiled and said, "We want to take a look at the baby and make sure everything is okay in there."

Kate and Castle nodded silently and watched as the doctor went to work. Kate's grip on his hand got tighter and Castle smiled at her and whispered, "It will be okay sweetheart."

Kate could only smile sadly at him. They both watched the doctor as he went to work. After a few moments, the doctor asked, "Do you want to see your son?"

Up to that moment, Kate and Castle didn't know the sex of the baby. The doctor didn't know it until he heard Kate whisper, "The baby is a boy?"

The doctor asked, "You didn't know?" Kate shook her head and the doctor said, "I'm sorry."

Kate whispered softly, "It's okay."

Castle leaned down and kissed her softly. Then, the doctor turned the screen and they got a good view of her baby. Kate gasped and the tears started flowing freely at that point. Then Alexis asked, "Is the baby okay?"

The doctor nodded and told Kate, "You appear to have a severe kidney infection. Hence the reason for the spotting. Your cervix is in tact and the baby's heartbeat is perfect. Since you said he's no less active, we are taking that as a good sign. I want to start you on antibiotics and keep you overnight, but you should be okay to go home tomorrow."

Kate and Castle both nodded and Alexis smiled. She decided to leave them alone and go get some coffee. Leaving her father and Kate alone to talk.

Castle leaned over and kissed Kate softly. Then he asked, "So. You're having a boy. Are you upset?"

Kate shook her head and whispered, "No. I only wanted a healthy baby."

"Your son is going to be amazing. Just like his mother."

"I'm going to see about getting something to eat. I'll be right back."

Castle stood up and then he leaned down and kissed her softly. Kate was left alone with her thoughts. She honestly hadn't thought about the sex of her baby. Part of her had always thought that she was having a boy. She didn't know how, maybe it was mother's intuition or luck. Whatever it was, Kate was happy about having a boy. It was in that moment that she knew what the baby's name was going to be. However, she decided to keep it to herself.

Castle finally found the cafeteria and walked inside. When he walked in, he saw Alexis talking to a young intern. He had to be about twenty three. Castle smiled and decided to get himself something to eat. He walked over to a corner of the cafeteria and ate his breakfast. He didn't want to embarrass his daughter. He needed to thank her for being there for Kate when he couldn't, but there would be time for that later. Right now, he wanted to eat and get back up to Kate. Thinking of Kate, he smiled when he thought about her and the baby. He knew in that moment that he wanted to be a father to her baby and he would do anything he could to make sure he remained in their lives...


	9. Chapter 9

**Just a little filler chapter. Something to bridge the time in the hospital...**

Castle walked back into the room and noticed that Kate had fallen asleep. Alexis walked into the room and whispered, "I've never been so scared before dad. We left in such a hurry this morning. God..." Alexis looked down at her clothes and laughed, "I'm still in my pajamas. Oh God..."

Castle couldn't help but laugh at his daughter. He took her hand and squeezed it. Then he told her, "I want to thank you for being there for Kate. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Alexis shook her head, "It's okay dad. I just wish I would have remembered to get dressed first, but..." Looking down at Kate she smiled, "She needed help. Even if I didn't let her know it, I was so scared dad."

Standing up, Castle hugged his daughter tightly. Then he whispered, "It's okay pumpkin."

"She's going to be okay. Right dad?"

Nodding, Castle whispered, "She's got to stay overnight, but she will be okay. Then we can get on with our vacation."

"I'm going to go home in the morning dad. I only came to make sure that you were okay. That Kate wasn't going to hurt you again."

Castle sighed and kissed the top of his daughter's head. Then he whispered, "I know you want to take care of me, but I am a grown man now. I can take care of myself. I know that it's always been just the two of us, but I do love Kate and I think she loves me."

It was then that they heard Kate whisper softly, "I do. I think I've always loved you Castle. I was just afraid..."

Castle looked at her over his daughter's head and asked, "Afraid of what?"

Kate swallowed hard and whispered, "Afraid of allowing myself to love you. You are such an amazing man..."

"And you don't think you deserve someone amazing?"

"I didn't...At least not until now. I want to love you. I want our son to know what it's like to be loved by a man like you. Alexis is such a lucky woman. I wish that my baby's father..."

Kate turned away from Castle and Alexis. She didn't want them to see her cry. It seemed like every time she thought about the future, all she could do was cry. The thought of raising her son alone was something she didn't want to think about. She couldn't think about it.

She hated thinking about the future. This baby wasn't Castle's and she knew that he didn't owe her anything. He was free to walk out at anytime. Hell, her son's father had been all too happy to turn and run. What made her think that Castle was any different? He was free to leave at any time. To leave her and her son behind.

Thinking about him leaving her and her baby was something that Kate hated to think about. The one thing that could reduce her to tears.

Alexis whispered to her father, "I'm going to go outside.."

Castle nodded and kissed her on the cheek.

He sat down beside Kate and took her hand. Then he whispered, "Talk to me Kate."

Kate shook her head slowly and looked out the window. Then she said, "I can't..."

"Kate..."

She took a shaky breath and then with a small voice she whispered, "I don't want.." She took a deep breath, "I don't want you to leave me and the baby. I don't want to grow to love you, to have my son love you and then you decide that this isn't what you want. That you don't want me or my son."

Castle sat down in the chair next to her bed. Then he took her hand in his and whispered, "That would never happen Kate. I will always love you." He placed his other hand on her stomach and the baby kicked strongly. He smiled and raised her hand to his mouth and whispered, "I will always love your, no our baby. I will treat him just like he was my son. He will only know love from me. He will be so loved Kate. My mother will love him. Alexis will love him. I love him Kate. I love you. I want to be with your forever..."

"How do I know you aren't just saying that? How can you want me Castle?"

Shaking his head, Castle told her softly, "I've always wanted you. I will always want you. I want a chance to prove it to you. Let me show you what it's like to be loved by me. Please?"

Kate looked at him through her tears and finally nodded. She knew that she owed this to him. She did love him and wanted him to be with her forever. However, her emotions were all over the place. One minute she was happy with him and the next she was secretly wondering if he was going to leave her. If he would realize that she wasn't what he wanted. She didn't want him to feel trapped into raising her son as his own. It wouldn't be fair to him or her baby. However, she couldn't help but wondering if it could be amazing. To be loved by Richard Castle. It was every woman's dream.

She wiped away the tears and sniffled a little bit. Then she smiled up at him and whispered, "I would love that Castle. Teach me to love again. To trust again. To know what it is to give my heart to someone that really deserves it."

Castle smiled brightly and leaned down to kiss her softly. His tongue begged for entrance and she quickly granted it. They were so lost in kissing each other that they didn't hear the nurse walking into Kate's room. She had to clear her throat and say, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time for me to take her vital signs.."

With a final soft kiss, Castle pulled away from her and whispered, "Wow..."

Kate was in a daze and whispered, "Yeah...Wow... That was..."

Castle smiled and finished for her, "Amazing.."

Nodding Kate smiled up at him. She wanted to kiss him again, but the nurse asked, "Can you please wait outside? Her vitals are going to be through the roof if you stay here."

Laughing Castle told her, "I'll go, but I will be back..."

Kate watched him leave and she laid back on her pillow and she knew that she had a dreamy smile on her face. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I love him..."

The nurse laughed and smiled at Kate, "That much is obvious. And it's obvious that he loves you too."

Kate could only nod and smile. He did love her. It was so obvious to everyone around her. Why was she having such a hard time believing it? Her damn hormones were all over the place lately. She decided to stop thinking about it so hard. She would just herself love him. Let him love her and her son. Little did she know then, but it would be the best decision of her life...

**Would love to hear your thoughts on what you would like to happen next. PM me with ideas and I promise to give you credit if I use them...I have plenty of ideas, but love the input of my readers...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Just a little filler chapter. Lots of Caskett fluffiness... Made a small change to one paragraph. A reviewer pointed out something that I hadn't thought of. Thanks for pointing it out. Definitely made this a better chapter...**

When Kate left the hospital, Castle drove them back to the city. Against his better judgment, he drove her back to her apartment. Even though he wanted to take her back to the loft. He loved her and wanted to keep her close to him. However, he didn't want to crowd her. Wanted to give her the freedom to decide that she couldn't live without him. So, he walked her to her door and kissed her softly. Then he watched as she closed the door to her apartment.

Castle wanted to knock on her door and ask to come in and spend more time with her. So, he put his hand on the door softly and whispered, "I love you Kate. I wish..."

He finally sighed and then lifted his hand again and knocked on the door. Kate answered the door and she had a huge smile on her face. She whispered, "I was hoping that you would come back."

"You were?"

Nodding, Kate put her arms around his neck and whispered, "I want you to kiss me."

Castle leaned forward and kissed her softly. Then, Kate pulled him into his apartment with her. Then they walked into her bedroom. Kissing the entire way. Kate stood in front of him and undressed slowly. Then he whispered, "Are you sure about this Kate?"

Nodding, Kate whispered, "I am. I don't want to wait until after the baby is born to make love to you for the first time."

Castle's mouth hung open and he didn't know what to say. He finally managed to whisper, "What?"

Kate took his hand and put it on her stomach and whispered, "He is already yours. At least in every way that counts. I know that he won't share your DNA, but..."

Nodding, Castle whispered, "I love you Kate, but we don't have to do this."

"I want to. I want to give you everything."

Castle silenced her with a kiss and she took his hand and led her to her bed. She pushed him down onto it and removed her blouse. Leaving herself partially naked to him. Not for the first time, Castle marveled at how beautiful she was. Even in the moonlight she was gorgeous. Castle let his hands frame her stomach and he whispered, "God Kate. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me. You always have been."

Then he leaned forward and kissed her stomach so very softly. Sure, it wasn't the first time that he'd done it, but this time meant so much more than any of the others. For the first time, they were together as more than work partners. They were taking their relationship to a new level. Romantic partners.

Castle looked up at her again and whispered, "Are you sure about this?"

Nodding, Castle whispered, "I've never been more sure of anything before. Make love to me Castle. Make me yours completely."

"Gladly."

They spent the next few hours making love to each other. When Kate woke the next morning, she looked at him sleeping soundly beside her. She smiled when she saw that his hand was resting on her stomach.

Kate remembered his reaction to her son moving after they'd made love for the first time. The tears that came to his eyes were something of a shock to them both. He'd leaned down and kissed her softly and whispered, "I feel like he's really mine now Kate."

Kate laughed when the baby started turning somersaults inside her. It was almost as if her son was trying to reassure him that he was his child.

Long after Castle had fallen asleep, Kate remained awake thinking about everything that had happened that night. She'd whispered to her unborn son, "He's an amazing man Peanut. He really does love us. Even when I did everything to push him away. I don't know why I was afraid of him. Afraid of this. He's been nothing but amazing to us. I don't deserve this. Don't deserve him. You are going to be the luckiest baby in the world. I thought that your father was the answer to everything, but I realized that I didn't love him. So, I ran away from him and was determined that we would be alone forever. I thought it was going to be just the two of us, but I never counted on Castle refusing to give up on his feelings for me. He's amazing Peanut. I've known that for awhile, but was way too stubborn to see it, but we are so very lucky that Castle came along and proved his love for us Peanut. So, so lucky. I hope you remember when you are older that any man can be a father, but Castle..." She looked down at Castle and smiled. His hair was sticking up everywhere and he made these little noises when he slept, but he was so incredibly handsome. She loved him so much. She leaned down and kissed him so softly and smiled when his hand reached out for her. She smiled and then she continued, "Castle is proving that it takes a real man to be a daddy. And that's what he's going to be to you. A daddy. The best daddy in the whole world..."

Kate smiled when her son kicked underneath her hand. Almost as if he understood what she was saying. While she knew that it was impossible, she liked to believe that it was true. She had fallen asleep that night with the biggest smile on her face.

She propped herself up onto her elbow and leaned down and kissed Castle so very softly. She watched as his eyes opened and felt his lips moving underneath hers. She felt him smile and she pulled back and whispered, "Good morning."

Castle smiled at her and whispered, "Good morning beautiful. I think I can get used to being woken up like this."

"You enjoyed it huh?"

"Very much so. How did you sleep Kate?"

"Like a baby."

When Kate said that, her son kicked her hard. She laughed and told him, "I think he thought I was talking about him."

"He's already a smart baby. Definitely takes after me."

Kate laughed and shook her head. Then she leaned down and kissed his again, "He certainly does."

Castle laughed, but suddenly turned serious and asked, "Any regrets about last night?"

Shaking her head, Kate whispered, "None whatsoever. If anything I feel even better about this. About us. Thank you so much Castle."

Castle turned his head to the side and asked, "For what?"

"For loving me. For not giving up on me. Even when things seemed hopeless you never gave up on me. You never once thought about giving up on me. I don't know what I've done to deserve this. I love you so much. I always have. I can admit that now."

Castle leaned forward and whispered, "I've always wanted this. From the moment I met you. I knew that one day we would be together. I just wish..."

"What?"

"Nothing. All that matters is that we are together now. I just wish that he was really mine."

"Do you love him any less?"

Castle smiled down at her and whispered, "No. I could never love him any less. He's your son and I couldn't love him any more. The fact that he's not mine makes no difference. I would like to have another baby with you though."

Kate laughed and shook her head, "Let me get through bringing him into the world and then we can talk about having more children."

Castle smiled, "You really want to have more children with me?"

Laughing, Kate smiled and whispered, "I wouldn't be opposed to it. Honestly, I would love to have another baby or two."

Castle smiled, "That sounds wonderful to me. Having a baby with you is the most amazing thing to me. I already love him and he isn't even truly mine."

Kate shook her head, "He's yours in every way that counts. You love him even though his own father doesn't. Do you know how amazing that is to me? That you love him with all your heart."

Castle smiled and whispered, "I really do love him Kate. He's not even here and I can imagine teaching him so many things. I can see myself taking him to the park and pushing him on the swings. He's going to know what it's like to be loved by me."

Kate felt the tears fall down her cheek. The words that he spoke meant the world to her. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. Then, looking into his eyes, she whispered two little words that would change everything for them forever. She looked at him and whispered, "Marry me..."


	11. Chapter 11

**A tiny bit of angst here. **

Castle couldn't remember the last time that he had been rendered speechless. There were very few times when he found himself at a loss for words. He couldn't believe that Kate had just asked him to marry her. He finally managed to ask, "What?"

Kate smiled nervously and repeated, "Marry me?"

Castle shook his head. Almost as if he wasn't sure whether or not he was still asleep. He had to be asleep. Or dreaming. Surely he couldn't have heard what he thought he did. Castle wasn't someone to ask someone to marry them. So, he had to be dreaming. He just looked at her and whispered, "Kate I.."

In that moment, Kate knew that he was going to say no to her. She could tell it from the way he was hesitating and he didn't want to marry her. She was good enough to sleep with, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with her. With her and her baby. She started to get out of the bed, but Castle stopped her. He looked at her and whispered, "Don't go. Talk to me."

Kate shook her head, "It's clear that you don't want to marry me and the only thing I'm good enough for is to sleep with you and..."

"Whoa Kate! You are way off base here and..."

"Am I? You married Meredith when she was pregnant with Alexis." She climbed out of bed and turned to grab her robe and then she turned to him and said, "But then again, Alexis is your real daughter. So it makes sense that you would marry her." She pointed at her stomach and said, "But my son isn't yours so you don't feel the need to marry me. Maybe if he was you wouldn't hesitate to marry me. Maybe..."

Castle threw up his hands and said, "You are way out of line here Kate! It has nothing to do with whether or not he's mine or not. I love you! Both of you!"

"But not enough to marry me! Of course. And don't forget Gina. Hell, she wasn't even pregnant and you married her. I guess it's just me you don't want to marry. Right?"

Castle ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. He wondered if this was some hormonal reaction that went along with her pregnancy. He walked closer to her and whispered, "Let me explain Kate. I..."

Shaking her head, Kate picked up his clothes and practically threw them at him. She pointed at the bedroom door and told him, "Get dressed and you can see yourself out! Goodbye Castle!"

Kate walked into her bathroom and slammed the door. Leaving a very confused Castle standing in the middle of her bedroom. He got dressed, but instead of leaving, he sat on the bed and waited for her to come out.

It took about twenty minutes, but she finally came out and Castle could tell that she had been crying. When she saw him sitting on the bed, she whispered, "Why are you still here?"

"Because you didn't give me a chance to explain."

"What is there to explain? You will marry other women, but not me."

"Dammit Kate! Will you please give me a chance to explain?"

Kate closed her eyes and whispered, "Fine."

Castle patted the bed beside her and whispered, "Sit. Please?"

Despite not wanting to, Kate felt her feet walking towards the bed. She finally sat next to him and she didn't stop him when he reached for her hand. He raised it up to his mouth and kissed it so very softly. Then, he whispered, "I love you Kate. So,so much. And I want nothing more than to marry you."

Kate laughed harshly and whispered, "Sure you do."

Castle nodded, "I do sweetheart. But..."

"But what?"

"It's too soon. You nearly married Demming and I don't want you asking me to marry you because you are lonely or looking for a husband for you and a father for Peanut."

Kate looked at him, "You bastard. You think that's why I asked you to marry me?"

Castle placed his hand on her stomach and then whispered, "No, but it's barely been three weeks since you left Demming at the altar. If things were different I would marry you tomorrow, but I don't want you to regret anything. I want to wait until he's here and you're not so emotional about things. I know you love me,but..."

"But what Castle?"

"I want you to be sure that you want to marry me. Peanut will be here in another two months and I can wait until then. I want us to grow closer to each other. That way, when you ask me to marry you again, there won't be any doubts about our feelings for one another."

Kate shook her head slowly, "I don't have any doubts Castle. I know what I want and I want you."

Castle smiled softly and kissed her softly. Then, he pulled back and looked into her eyes. Then he whispered, "I know you do. And I know that I love you. So, so much. You and Peanut mean so much to me. More than you will ever know."

"Than marry us. Please?"

Kate sounded so desperate. Her desperation scared him to death. So, he knelt in front of her and kissed her stomach so very softly. Then, he whispered, "I want to marry you Kate. Nothing would make me happier."

"But?"

"But we need more time. I can't be your rebound love."

"Is that what you think you are Castle?"

Shrugging, Castle whispered, "You were going to marry Demming just a few weeks ago. I don't want to marry me just for the sake of getting married."

"That's not what this is Castle. I love you and..."

Nodding, Castle looked up at him and whispered, "I know that Kate. And I want to marry you. More than you can ever know. Lets wait a few months. Welcome Peanut into our family and then, if you still want to marry me, I will marry you. In fact, nothing could ever make me any happier. I love you and Peanut. You are my life. Both of you..."

Kate swallowed hard and then whispered, "You want to marry me?"

Nodding, Castle smiled up at her, "More than anything in the world. I just want you to be sure that marrying me is what you want."

Kate smiled at him and then pulled him up to the bed and whispered, "Well, you had better get used to the idea that you will be marrying me. Because I can't wait to be Mrs. Richard Castle. One day I will marry you and that will be the best day of my life. Because I'm a one and done kind of girl and you are that for me Richard Castle."

Castle smiled at her and then he leaned forward and kissed her so very softly. Then he told her softly, "I can't wait for that day Katherine Beckett. Nothing will make me happier. Nothing..."

Kate felt Castle's hand under her cheek, pulling her closer to him for a kiss. She whispered softly to the man she loved and wanted to marry, "One day, you will say yes to me."

Castle laughed and kissed her. Then, he pulled her onto the bed and started undressing her. She moaned as he started making love to her once again. Making her realize how much he truly and completely loved her. And making sure she knew that he intended to marry her one day soon...


End file.
